Sylarian
Biology The average height of a Sylarian male is generally 167.1 cm or approximately five and a half feet. The average height for females is 155.8 cm or just over five feet tall. Sylarian frames tend to be smaller by comparison than an average human with males having slightly more bulk than females. In hand to hand combat this difference in size puts the average Sylarian at a disadvantage but over the centuries many different styles of martial arts have been developed to take advantage of the Sylarians' smaller stature and superior speed. Aside from slight differences in height and build Sylarians are virtually indistinguishable from normal humans though there are a few striking aspects that set them apart. For one thing all Sylarians have white hair, similar to Arkanians, though their hair also catches and reflects the sun's light more brightly than other species. The effect of this creates an almost ghostly aura around the Sylarians making them appear as otherworldly beings of pure light. Space-farers who have seen this phenomenon (though it is extremely rare to meet a Sylarian) have often mistaken them for Angels. To combat this Sylarians wishing to move among the other species of the galaxy without raising questions prefer to wear heavy robes or hoods to cover their hair and hide the effect. Sylarians reach full physical maturity around the same time as humans though they appear to stop aging once this point is reached, maintaining the same appearance until death. The Sylarian understanding of adulthood, however, goes far beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. On average a Sylarian is not considered an adult until around one hundred and twenty years of age and they will continue to live to be well over 900 years old. This longevity gives the Sylarian people a broader perspective on events that might trouble the shorter-lived races more deeply. They are more often amused than excited, and more likely to be curious than greedy. They tend to remain aloof and unfazed by petty happenstance. When pursuing a goal, however, whether exploring or learning a new skill or art, Sylarians can be focused and relentless. Racial Characteristics *'Limited Regeneration' Sylarians have the ability to regenerate damaged cells. While this regeneration isn't sophisticated enough to regrow lost limbs it does enable them to heal faster from minor wounds. Major wounds will still require surgery and time to heal, but the process is faster than that of an average human. As a result of this regeneration the life expectancy of an average Sylarian has also been significantly prolonged. The oldest of the Sylarian people number their years in the hundreds. *'Spiritual Balance' Most if not all Sylarians will attest to the concept of "Equivalence", that is the balance of one's spiritual life force or in layman's terms the electrical energy that resides in all living things. This energy, referred to as the Seldarine (pronounced sell-duh-reen) or "Divine Authority" when translated into basic, is the living aspect of the body, the energy that creates life. Without it life could not exist and all beings in the galaxy would be little more than a collection of organic materials (skin, bones, etc.). The Seldarine is passed on to children when they are conceived, granting them life and when they die the Seldarine leaves their body to rejoin the universal consciousness, or so it is believed. The concept of a universal conscience appeared in Sylarian philosophy many eons ago. Many followers of the Seldarine believe that the universe itself created life in order to experience itself. Once a creature dies then its consciousness and life experiences rejoin the collective, enriching the universe as a whole. This along with many other life after death theories is a concept that has been excessively studied by Sylarian scientists for many years. However, the only thing anyone can say for certain is that after death the energy that powers the body is no longer present. The Seldarine powers every aspect of the body, from breaking down enzymes from foods to even the natural functions that govern repairing and healing the body itself. It is from this basic understanding of the Seldarine that the Principle of Equivalence was born. The Principle of Equivalence is the Sylarian way of life. It is believed that living one's life in harmony with the universe will lead to an enriched and rewarding after life. However, negative emotions such as greed, hate and anger would only poison the life force within and by extension the universal consciousness. Therefore many Sylarians believe living in harmony with the universe means living a healthy lifestyle, enjoying the company of others, maintaining the environment and enriching oneself in life's experiences. Imbalanced individuals are therefore often shunned from Sylarian society. These are people whom other societies might describe as unhinged, greedy or spiteful. Such individuals are rare but not unheard of and surprisingly can be found in the upper echelons of Sylarian society. These are the type of people who more often than not will spend a fortune to maintain a certain appearance to hide the fact they covet wealth and power and social standing. Sylarians further believe that the Seldarine is the source for Sylarian regeneration that enables them to heal faster and live longer. This theory is further supported by correlating evidence that seems to suggest that the further imbalanced a person is with their Seldarine the slower they heal. Helping such an individual then means bringing their Seldarine back into balance and many healing traditions of the Sylarian people are built around the idea of focusing and controlling the Seldarine. This is done through meticulous meditation and breathing exercises meant to focus one's mind and senses towards their inner selves and the Seldarine that lies within in order to help them feel and interpret the energies they are attempting to control. Through these methods Sylarian healers and practitioners of the Seldarine have been able to achieve many great feats of strength such as strengthening the body to reduce the impact of blows, healing wounds or illnesses with just their Seldarine alone or even producing enough heat from the palm of their hands to spark a flame. Psychology Sylarians are very spiritual people and highly disciplined. Obscene outbursts or bouts of violence are rarely observed in Sylarian society and generally frowned upon. While the study of the Seldarine has led to the development of many different kinds of martial arts the Sylarian people are for the most part a pacifistic society. Living apart from the rest of the galaxy the Sylarians have been content to observe and study other alien races and worlds and have avoided direct confrontation with them. As a result many Sylarians appear to be aloof or withdrawn when interacting with species from other worlds. Centuries of isolation from the rest of the galaxy has led many of the Sylarian people to become rather reclusive. Despite this, however, Sylarians are intimate creatures able to feel emotions more strongly than other species throughout the galaxy. This is in part due to their strange connection to the Seldarine. Attuning oneself to their Seldarine often leads to one being able to visually see the Seldarine in others. This makes Sylarians more empathic towards their friends and loved ones be they other Sylarians or beings from another world. This insight into others' feelings has a tendency to come off as alarming for those who are not prepared for it. Though careful control of the Seldarine can help to calm one's fears and anxieties. Sociology The Council of Twelve The Council of Twelve are the ruling body of the Sylarian people. Each one is chosen from among the members of the Chamber of Representatives to represent one of twelve different aspects of the Seldarine from Kalina to Mori, or "light" to "dark". These twelve are preceded by the Valya or Divine Lord who acts as the spiritual leader for all of Sylaria or in rare cases the tie breaker when matters of state are brought to a stalemate between the Council of Twelve. The Chamber of Representatives In addition to the Council of Twelve there is also the Chamber of Representatives in which elected officials are selected from the greatest minds of Sylarian society. Each one selected to represent a different district or province from all around the planet (some districts even have multiple representatives depending on their size). The Chamber of Representatives is where the bulk of government legislation is devised. Bills representing laws are introduced, discussed and voted upon by the Chamber of Representatives before they are put before the Council of Twelve for ratification. If the chamber is in a three fifths agreement then the bill has passed and the next step is to be voted upon by the Council of Twelve before it is signed by the Valya and put into law. Sylarians and the Rest of the Galaxy The Sylarians can date their history as far back as the Infinite Empire. The first documented contact between Sylaria and species from another world is from this time period as Sylaria, as well as most of the galaxy, had once been a part of the Rakatan empire. Since the fall of the Infinite Empire, however, the Sylarian people had opted for exclusivity, preferring instead to remain isolated and away from the rest of the galaxy rather than get involved. While this meant no direct contact with other species it did not mean that the Sylarians remained entirely isolated. As luck would have it Sylarian physiology closely resembles that of Arkanians allowing Sylarians to move among the other species without raising too many questions. This permitted Sylarian scientists to observe and study other species and societies without getting involved in the greater conflicts embroiling the galaxy. Their isolation remained as such for many thousands of years until the fall of the Galactic Empire. With the rise of the First Order spreading throughout the Unknown Regions the Sylarian people found themselves once again threatened by the possibility of being absorbed into another Infinite Empire. Rather than wait around to be conquered the Council of Twelve had decided to petition the Galactic Senate to become part of the New Republic, finally revealing their existence to the rest of the galaxy. Category:Featured Article Category:Pryde2000 Category:Sylarian